mischievous

adjective

ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio)
Definition of mischievousnext
1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mischievous His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 The bride and groom both wore custom Christian Dior looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, who’s known for elaborate, mischievous designs. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 Months after Scary Movie's release, Abrahams starred as the mischievous Denny Byrnes in Meet the Parents (2000). — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026 Kern County jail records show Dobbins is being held in lieu of $40,000 bail and was booked on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and negligent ownership of a mischievous animal causing serious bodily injury and/or death to another. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
  1. wicked
  2. naughty
  3. dangerous
  4. playful
  5. bad
  6. harmful
  7. impish
  8. adverse
Adjective
  • Soon a wicked stepmother named Elvera and her brood came into the Jones family’s life.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
  • Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • When Martín is kidnapped by a monster, Cleo ventures into the jungle to rescue him, aided by an elderly witch and a naughty anteater.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • People would hang from windows, encouraging you to do naughty things, and my thumb has never been sorer from back-and-forth gestures.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of naughty
Adjective
  • Experts agree that allowing external services to access Apple’s and Google’s operating systems could be dangerous for security and user privacy.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • Sources additionally say that officers have burnt out while working overtime month after month — all on top of functioning in an already tense and dangerous environment, likening the situation to a powder keg ready to blow.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Though the playful space has no actual dock or access to the nearby Chao Phraya, the river’s blue waters and blue-orange tugboats influenced the hotel’s color scheme and other touches.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • August is your last chance to embrace summer’s brightest manicure trends, from juicy hues to playful nail art.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 19 July 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • Shouldn’t Tamra take that as a sign to repair her relationships with the women rather than alienate the one person who is willing to look past her bad behavior?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • That statistic shows that hotels did worse with the World Cup than without it initially.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • The as-yet-untitled series will follow the story of multiple families and campaigners including Ellen Roome, who believes that the tragic death of her beloved 14-year-old son Julian ‘Jools’ Sweeney could have been linked to harmful social media.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • And planting near any street could expose trees to harmful salt spray when roads are treated in the winter.
    — Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • Two years ago, the Man City phenom appeared in a 90-second spot for the game that saw him get recruited to storm a castle teeming with goblins, dragons and impish skeletons.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
  • Her new album, Fata Morgana, uses an array of cascading rhythms, impish hooks, and fierce poetry to interrogate her place in a corrupt American society.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of impish
Adjective
  • But this isn’t because of potential health risks or adverse effects in-flight—cabin crew simply dislike pouring it because of its excessive fizziness.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
  • The scientific debate Scientists do not always agree on what counts as an adverse effect of mindfulness.
    — Ronald S. Green, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of adverse

Browse Nearby Words

mischiefs
mischievous
mischievousness
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Cite this Entry

“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mischievous for Spanish Speakers

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